Happiness is Homemade
The past two weeks have been all about sharing the Christmas spirit. From our Holly Jolly home to my Holiday Style to sharing our annual Christmas card, the biggest thing to remember every year is that happiness is homemade.
Baking for friends and family is definitely one of my most fun traditions. I typically set aside one day to bake from the time I wake up until it’s dark outside and it fills my heart with so much joy. I shared last week a special Christmas memory along with my Meme’s chocolate cookie recipe. These chocolate cookies are always the most favorite treat. Sharing just one treat would make the display a little boring so I usually choose two or three other treats to share.
This year I baked pecan tarts, chocolate covered peanuts and sand tarts to share. Pecan tarts are a little more time consuming but so worth it. Finding a tart press to use to shape the dough just right is the secret to the consistency of the crust coming out well. I purchased the tart press from Pampered Chef years ago and love it.
Pecan Tart Recipe
Dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
3 sticks butter
1 large and 1 small cream cheese
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add flour to create dough and press into mini muffin pans with the tart press.
Filling:
7 eggs
7 1/2 T. melted butter
3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 3/4 cups firmly chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Blend butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls into shells.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar when totally cooled
Interested in all the treats on my little red plate? I outlined all of my holiday baking recipes a few years back.
Our Christmas traditions are fairly simple. There were years when my big kids were younger when we spent Christmas morning away from home but one of my favorite traditions now is spending Christmas day with all my kids at our home being lazy in our pajamas. We have brunch and play board games while sipping mimosas (the adults at least) while A Christmas Story is playing in the background.
For the past three years I’ve whipped up this breakfast casserole from Mix and Match Mama. Each year I’ve made this casserole along with one additional but this one has been the one to stick around! It is a crowd pleaser and the best part is it can be put together and stored in the fridge the night before. On Christmas morning I pop this in the oven and don’t miss out on any family time.
Ingredients:
1 lb breakfast Sausage, mild
6 Eggs
1 package Crescent rolls
2 cups Cheddar cheese
Roll out crescent rolls in along the bottom of the pan. Brown sausage, drain and add on top of crescent rolls. Scramble 6 eggs in a separate bowl and add a splash of milk. Pour in egg mixture and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for approx 30 minutes or until eggs in the center are full firm.
This time of year it can be really easy to become sucked into comparing to others. One family is celebrating a different tradition every night, another is sipping cocoa and crossing off every holiday movie ever made while others may be still searching for that one special gift on Christmas eve. There is no right way to celebrate. My mom was one of those still wrapping presents as the guests arrived on Christmas Eve while I like to have all things in order with pretty bows all around. You know what? The joy is still the same! Happiness for me truly is homemade and at Christmas it is especially sweet!
This was one of my very favorite Christmas cards aside from the fact our little bit Carly Jo was not around yet. Maybe next year will be the year we recreate this one!
Show and Tell Faves from 2016!
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Yummy! Love that daughter is in the kitchen with you. Those will be such great memories. 🙂
How cute is that Christmas card!! And the pcean tarts sound delicious and guess what, that is the exact breakfast casserole we do, and with it we have giant cinnamon rolls from the Amish Bakery that I pick up Christmas eve…scrumptious!!
That Christmas card!! The best! And now I want to do that casserole!
YUM! I could totally dive into a plate of cookies right about now. I still have to do my baking. I better get started soon!
Pecan tarts are my favorite! Spending the day lounging in pjs, playing board games, and sipping mimosas sounds absolutely divine!
Shelly, I adore this post. Last week when we shared our favorite memories, food was a huge reminder and memory. Those pecan tarts look amazing. I also love that card. Have a great day!
I love that Christmas card! So special! And we always have A Christmas Story playing in the background starting on Christmas Eve–it's my favorite!
MeetTheShaneyfelts
I love that Christmas card!! Those pecan tarts look amazing! I think my mom has that Pampered Chef press, I may need to borrow it from her & try these out!
Enjoy your week!
That breakfast casserole sounds PERFECT for what I need on Christmas morning and I already have all of the ingredients. So do you put the entire thing together and then just cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight totally uncooked? I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly… I was worried that everything might get soggy and not bake right in the morning or something!
Love that Christmas card! I make a very similar casserole except instead of cresent roll I use the shredded hash browns, cook those for a bit in the oven (in the dish) and then add the egg mixture and sausage and cheese on top 🙂 You know I've never had pecan anything…perhaps I need to change that soon!
Yes! Isn't this a thing the best?!! I have done this lots of times, not just at Christmas,and it cooks fine without being soggy.
I've totally had about 10 too many cookies every single day…I've gotta get this stuff out of my house!!!
I love that she wants to be in kitchen with me Carrie!
It wasn't till I joined MOPS that I discovered breakfast casseroles but I am so glad I did. They make for a pretty tasty breakfast!
We love breakfast casseroles Stephanie…and not just for breakfast! They are really great for pot luck type breakfasts too.
I have actually tried the hashbrowns on bottom in muffin cups…yum. I am not the hugest fan of pecan pie but these little tarts I can't resist! Merry Christmas Sarah!
You should definitely try them Emily…they are a little more time consuming than some things but oh so yummy!
It's really the best…and reminds me of my dad. Merry Christmas Sarah!
Thanks Jenna! I am not a huge pecan pie person but love these tarts! I've got to get all this stuff delivered and out of my house!!
Merry Christmas Kellyann….I can hardly wait for Sunday. Ready to just chill.
Thank you Sarita….Merry Christmas.
Cinnamon rolls sound delish. The kids around here all sell butter braids as fundraisers and I always grab a couple to have on Christmas morning because they are so dang good.